Bonum est

1 It is a thing both good and meet
to praise the highest Lord,
And to thy Name, O thou most High,
to sing with one accord:

2 To shew the kindness of the Lord,
before the day be light,
And to declare his truth abroad,
when it doth draw to night,

3 On a ten stringed instrument,
on lute and harp so sweet,
With all the mirth you can invent
of instruments most meet.

4 For thou hast made me to rejoice
in things so wrought by thee,
That I have joy in heart and voice
thy handy-works to see.

5 O Lord, how glorious and how great
are thy works round about?
So deeply are thy counsels set,
that none can find them out:

6 The man unwise cannot tell how
this work to pass to bring,
And fools also are most unfit
to understand this thing.

7 When as the wicked at their will
like grass do spring full fast,
And when they flourish in their ill,
they suddenly shall waste.

8 But thou art mighty, Lord most high,
and thou dost reign therefore
In glory and great majesty,
both now and evermore.

9 Behold, O Lord, thy enemies
shall be destroy'd alway,
And all that work iniquity
shall perish and decay.

10 But thou, like as an unicorn
shalt lift mine horn on high;
With fresh and new prepared oil
anointed king am I;

11 And of my foes before my eyes
shall see the fall and shame,
Of all that do against me rise,
my ears shall hear the same.

12 The righteous flourish shall on high,
as palm-trees bud and blow,
And as the cedars multiply,
in Libanus that grow.

13 For they are planted in the place
and dwelling of our God;
Within his courts they spring apace,
and flourish all abroad:

14 And in their age much fruit shall bring,
most pleasant to' be seen,
And also shall both bud and spring
with boughs and branches green;

15 To shew that God is good and just,
and upright in his will:
He is my rock, my hope, and trust,
in him there is no ill.

Source: The Whole Book of Psalms #XCII